


in case you don't live forever

by regrettes



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gen, Lesbian Character, this is a soft piece because i promised to write fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 18:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19235068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regrettes/pseuds/regrettes
Summary: Emma signs up for an open mic night during her first semester at college. Alyssa is more than excited and texts their found family, who all want to come watch her.





	in case you don't live forever

New York City. The city of dreams, the city where Emma felt a lot more like herself. NYU was treating her a lot better than expected, classes weren’t as hard as she’d expected. Of course it was only her first semester, and she didn’t have College Algebra until next semester, so it was too early to really tell. But with NYU and NYC, came the adventures to be had with Alyssa and her adoptive parents. When they weren’t busy with shows they’d take the girls for coffee or for lunch, insisting that it was the least they could do for their kids. The mod-podge family had become even closer after the two younger girls had graduated. It gave Emma a sense of home that she had been missing for the two years she’d been without her birth parents.

 

They still didn’t speak to her, but Betsy called her once a week to remind her that she was loved by at least someone from her real family. Meanwhile, Barry and Angie called her every day, wanting the latest scoop on the drama in her classes. Who the unbearable soprano was this week, or who was dating who. Emma didn’t know where she’d be without them in her life, they’d brought Alyssa into the fold without so much as batting an eye. Trent had become the father figure her girlfriend needed, and Dee Dee was more than happy to become another helicopter mother for the both of them.

 

Emma was lost in her thoughts, reminiscing about how they’d come to know each other, and how she didn’t know where she’d be without them, when the barista came up with her coffee, her voice shaking Emma from her thoughts. “You play?” She asked, nodding over to Emma’s guitar case that she had beside her. Emma nodded, blushing slightly as she fumbled to find words to speak. College might’ve been kinder to her, but it didn’t help her with her social skills at all. “You know, we’re doing an open mic tonight? There’s still a spot left on the sign up sheet. We have a piano on the stage that most people end up playing, but we love when people play guitar.”

 

Emma took a deep breath, looking to the back of the coffee house where the stage was, wondering if she’d actually have the confidence to play here. It was short notice, she had no idea what she’d play, but it wouldn’t hurt to try, right? “I-Yeah! Sign me up, I play piano too, but I might stick to my guitar for tonight. It’s kind of a more comfortable option,” Her voice was a little shaky, her eyes not quite meeting the barista’s as she was asked her name, “Uh Emma! Emma Nolan!” Before she could even process what had just happened, she was already signed up to be the close out performer for the night.

 

She sat in silence for a minute or two, before pulling out her phone to text Alyssa about what she’d done. Her girlfriend was supportive, but also questioned how she was going to pull off doing an open mic if she didn’t know what to sing. Luckily, it was just about time for Alyssa to be done with her classes, so Emma rushed back to the dorms as fast as her legs could carry her, ready to have a brainstorm session with Alyssa.

 

What they came up with was rough at best, but it was the only plan they had. Alyssa had already told the gang about Emma’s impromptu performance, and each of them had called out of their shows for the night, which Emma didn’t expect at all. She was just planning to play some covers, maybe a Dodie song or two, some Ed Sheeran, and end with Unruly Heart? That seemed like a good enough idea for her. She didn’t need to blow everyone away, she just needed to do this to get her foot in the door for other events that she could perform in. Now that her acquired family was going to be there, she felt like she had to go even bigger. But what could she sing?

 

Emma mulled it over most of the day in the back of her head, not really sure what she could come up with. Throughout doing herhomework and picking out an outfit for the show, which wasn’t that hard because she settled with a pair of black jeans, some beat up chucks, and a white tee with a little lesbian flag pin on it. Simple yet it got the point across. Alyssa looked as adorable as ever in a pair of blue skinny jeans and a peach turtleneck, one of Emma’s favorite’s that her girlfriend had. She’d never thought she’d find someone wearing a turtleneck as cute as she found Alyssa.

 

Before long it was time to head back down to the coffee shop, Barry and Angie already wondering where they were. It was only six, and the show didn’t start until seven, but those two really liked to be early. Finding them in the building was easy, they were in the front row, determined to have the best seats to watch Emma. The young lesbian wished that for once they’d try and keep a low profile, but she knew that they couldn’t and it was endearing that they’d even called out of their shows to come see her. She wouldn’t change a thing about these four actors for the world, and she knew that she loved them more than anyone would be able to understand.

 

Then it clicked. The song came to her and she whispered to Alyssa that there would be a change of plans. She was dropping one of the Ed Sheeran songs, replacing it with one she’d just learned on the piano. She quietly explained that she wanted to dedicate the final song to them, so she would open with Unruly Heart. It made perfect sense to her and now all she had to do was wait her turn and not choke. It couldn’t be that hard. In the meantime she mingled with her friends and the other performers of the night, asking them what they planned to play and if they were nervous. They all seemed much more confident than her, one even scoffing at the idea of being nervous and just ending the conversation there.

 

As the singers started, it felt like they all passed by in a blur. Time was moving so quickly that before long the same barista that had gotten her to sign up earlier was announcing her name to come up on stage. Leaning over, Emma pressed a quick kiss to Alyssa’s lips before grabbing her guitar from the floor in front of her and making her way onto the stage. “Hi... Uhm- My name is Emma and if you were around on twitter a year ago, you probably heard about the fake prom in Indiana. And the song that blew up after it. Well, that was me.” She let out an anxious laugh, a sense of deja vu hitting her at how she was introducing herself, “And I’m going to open tonight with that exact song, because here I don’t have to hide anymore and uh- neither does my girlfriend.” She motioned down to Alyssa, who blew her a kiss with a goofy grin.

 

As she began performing, her friends’ eyes on her gave her a renewed sense of confidence, and in Angie’s words _zazz_. She felt like she could take on the world and as each song passed without a hitch, she fell into the introduction for her closing piece. As she took the guitar off her lap, Alyssa came up and took it from her before Emma was able to move over to the piano, hearing Dee Dee from the front row whisper loudly to Trent, “When did she learn piano?” She couldn’t help but giggle a little at the woman, knowing that none of them had realized she’d been teaching herself. "This last song is dedicated to the four people that truly saved my life a year ago. I don't know where I'd be without them. Barry, Dee Dee, Angie and Trent, I love you all so much."

 

_You put all your faith in my dreams_

_You gave me the world that I wanted_

_What did I do to deserve you?_

_I follow your steps with my feet_

_I walk on the road that you started_

_I need you to know that I heard you, every word_

 

As Emma played, she looked at each actor, wanting to make sure that they understood just how much they meant to her. She didn’t know how to convey it in her words, so finding the strength to through music was like the universe giving her a sign to keep going. Angie and Barry were holding each other, almost in tears as they looked on at their ‘little lesbian.’ Dee Dee was pretending not to cry while Trent was on her shoulder and she clung to Alyssa’s hand for dear life. They may have thought that they had failed a year ago when the fake prom situation happened, but Emma knew that she wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.

 

_I have a hero whenever I need one_

_I just look up to you and I see one_

_I'm a man 'cause you taught me to be one_

 

Emma locked eyes with Barry, or tried to through his tears and her forming ones, a bright smile on her face. He was the one that helped the most. She had been so lost without a father figure in her life. Her grandma wasn’t strong enough to take on both roles and when Barry swooped in with his almost magical qualities about him, he changed her. For Good. The chorus came through again, starting to close out the song by this point, and Emma looked over to Angie, the woman who had really become a second mother to her. Dee Dee tried, but found she connected with Alyssa more. But Angie never gave up on Emma, and the blonde couldn’t thank her enough for it.

 

_In case you don't live forever, let me tell you now_

_I love you more than you'll ever wrap your head around_

_In case you don't live forever, let me tell you the truth_

_I'm everything that I am_

 

_Whoa... whoa..._

_In case you don't live forever, let me tell you the truth_

_As long as I'm here as I am, so are you_

 

Emma closed out the song and thanked everyone last time before handing the microphone back over to the barista. She climbed off stage and was wrapped into the biggest group hug she’d ever been a part of. She was entirely comfortable, Alyssa was wrapped around her and all of the actors were around the pair. Emma didn’t mind that they were in public.

 

She was home.


End file.
